Charity registration No. SC002876   Father Tom’s 80th. Birthday Party Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Main Menu Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Welcome one and all to the Hall here,   An occasion for gladness and joy,   As we celebrate 80 great years,   Father Tom, you're our own Birthday Boy. At an age when most (if not all) have retired   To sit by the fire and doze, You're as active and busy as ever, Still doing the work that you chose   You came to our Parish in Roy Bridge, As a 'young' man, not yet sixty seven, You arrived on Mary M's feast day, Our shepherd to lead us to heaven! You came with such zest and such vigour, Improved heating and decor in church;   (You reckoned that a warm congregation   Would not fidget so much on their perch!)  No sooner installed and computer to hand,   You wasted no time on production, And that very first bulletin took us by storm,   Four whole pages of news and instruction!!   Who could know that was just the beginning?   Since then we've had seven hundred more! All full of your own wise words (and photos),   They're read round the world, shore to shore. Within a month we'd a social committee   To help plan the proposed renovation;   And another group too, to discuss a new shrine   For Blessed Mary, a true inspiration.   We set to work fund-raising, baking and selling,   Dances and ceilidhs, St Andrew's Night fun,   And true to your word, within months of arriving,   The essential improvements were done!   Margaret Sargent’s Birthday Ode to Fr Tom 80 years on 31st July, 2010